8
FREEDOM ON HAND
Aru was half asleep when carried by the butler, to transfer him from another room, the clicking sound of his collar makes him fully awake.
He waited until the other person leave.
Soon, as the door closes he searched for the night lamp, switch it on, illuminating the room where he was in, he looked on the left side and see the outside from the window.
“How long did I pass out?” touching his neck makes him melancholy, he can't help it, tears slowly drip on each side of his face, he never thought that a day will come that the collar will be taken off from his neck and that he could make it alive.
For six years of imprisonment, force to sell his body without receiving any amount, living in an unimaginable room.
“I can't believe I survive, I'm not dreaming, right?,”.
Pinching his thigh so hard only to feel pain, seeing the red marks cause by his nail, his happy.
But he didn't let his guard down he wiped those tears away, it's not time for tears of joy.
He needed to get out of this place first, good thing about him was he have a sharp memory, remembering in and out of the villa.
Hurriedly wore his clothes that been left besides him, putting off the lamp and open the door slightly, sneakily he looked around to see if anyone was present.
Seeing no one was coming, looking from left to right, until he reached the gate without hassle.
But the tall gate made it impossible for him.
Luckily, a tree not far from the wall gives him a chance of escape, he climbed the tree that's been there, jumping the other side, he suddenly praised himself for learning how to climb a tree when he was young, times like this, who would think it will be useful, it's been of tremendous assistance to him.
The only mistake was that, he miscalculated his jump and slip his footing, a painful muffled cry break the silence of the night.
Multiple sound makes him crawl to the nearest bush and hide, forgetting a moment of the seeding pain on his ankle.
“His not far yet, find him” Aru his breath and dare not leak any scent, they're looking for him.
If he twaddled a little more, when he was sneakily avoiding everyone on his way out of escape, maybe he won't make it only to be caught back inside.
He doesn't even want to finish what disturb session he had with Cafelle after he pass out.
Who on earth was crazy, to put anything inside a hole, and beat his ass to red, up to now he still felt a stinging pain from the previous activity.
“Good thing I manage to cross that wall, I must stay here a little more, for sure they will give up looking for me.”
-----
Limping and dragging his right foot, he rejoiced upon arriving at the train station.
Going to Batangas, he still remembered that their house was not that far from the main city, at the thought of arriving at their doorstep make his heart flutter.
He wondered what will be Polly's reaction, if ViVi still remember him, while he's thinking about this, his excitement drops a million times.
“Will mother be happy to see me? And does father been found?”
Looking straight at his front, the long queue was ending to his turn.
“Where to?” he was asked via voice robot.
“One ticket to Batangas please.”
“180 pesos, here.” a small paper was slipped out of the closed screen within the robot's body.
His pinky finger snuck inside the garter of his worn out PJ that had accompanied him for 6 years, and manage to get the 300 pesosrolled like a barbecue stick and pay the needed amount.
He stands to wait for the train, people are sneaking glances of him and daring not to be near him, he can't blame them, from his tattered shirt, loose PJ, face smudge with dirt, from what he had been through last night.
Just because he was trying to escape, added the fact that his injured.
He didn't mind and focus himself to go home, feeling the bed he used to sleep when he was still there.
Growl.
Yes, his hungry, but he hadn't noticed it until his stomach groan.
Maybe the noise made by his stomach cause a little attention, that a small figure step in front of him and lend a half bitten sandwich.
“Here you go brother----
“Yuki I told you not to get around him, comeback here.” the yelling from the mother of the kid startled the both of them.
The little girl's small hands grab his hands and left to run back by her mother side.
Before going back the girl wave at him, which he involuntarily return and saw himself waving back, he felt warmth from that little action.
He didn't hesitate to eat the sandwich that fill him and made his stomach satisfied and as soon as the train arrive he entered last and search, there was a vacant space to sit.
Given his situation, he knew it would be hard to squeeze through the crowd, and stopped searching.
His neck gone long and hurts a little, since he found none, he contentedly stand near the door and lean his small frame in the very corner, his unkempt look made everyone present wary of him.
Looking back at them, he knew, they think he was a thug or a bad person or a good for nothing human, but his tired to mind, just from dragging his feet, and gives them no care at all, slumping to his post to ease his aching foot.
“Uh shit, I didn't break a bone right?” these thoughts, he wondered until he falls asleep.
-----
“Hey dude, the train will arrive in 5 minutes, get your ass up, or we will step on you.” someone kicked his already stinging leg.
That he don't even know whether he broke a bone or just sprained it, wiping his face by his palms with few sweats, taking a load of air to breathe the pain out.
Pressing his hand to the solid ground where he was sitting, then get up, a sharp pain makes him jolt widely awake, he hissed to such pain and grasp the pole that's near him and close his eyes tightly shut.
Praying the pain would go away, like singing rain rain go away.
As the train stops, the door slowly opens, he shrunk himself to the very depths of the corner and rather not join the flow of people rushing out, or his feet won’t make it, and he will make a sandwich out of himself.
Soon the people subsided and the very last person to leave was him, like the last he entered the train.
Every step makes him want to cut his limb, if it helps him not to feel the pain any more he will gladly volunteer himself to be chopped, he already looked like a thug from his unkempt appearance add his injury, he can't help but curse every step, maybe he really looked pitiable, that one security guard approach him.
But his wrong.
“You're alone?” he looked at the man who joined his march forward, from its appearance Aru doesn't know, but he felt a different vibe from its warm smile that made the hairs on his nape to stand.
“Not really.” he walked pass him, but he was grab tightly on the shoulder.
“We have a spare crutch, if you don't mind, you can have it, since you are having a hard time walking on two feet.” again the warm smile given to him, made him uneasy
“This is bad, I need to get away from him.” perhaps his thoughts we're clearly written to his face made the man persistent.
Though he showed no expression at all, the man step secondly in his first attempt to walk sideways, he wanted to decline politely, but he knew it was really hard to walk right now; a crutch will be of a great help, why not give it a try?
“Thank you, then I'll wait here.” Aru said.
“Possibly, he will let me go, if I take the crutch.” He thought, but the man gave a different response and a crease form in between his brows.
“No! You have to get it, tell them it's yours.” and this reply answer his uneasiness.
“But you said it's a spare.” he looks doubtful as the man In front look wary, the people around are very few, he will have a zero chance to flee if there's no crowd plus the fact he can't run fast now.
And that's it, the man show its true colors when it feels his guard up, he was drag forcefully by the hands.
That hold was gripping hard to his arm, his sure, a bruise will form from it.
“Are you trying hard to get here? "